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" 60d 6a"t tbt Tn(rtast" .- ~ ~'P1< *£113-... J9 ~ ~ "':1== .PIT l!~, ~ "God Gave the Tvventy.... fifth Annual Report of the DOOR OF HOPE and The Fourth Report of the Affiliated Homes of the CHILDREN'S REF·UGE Shanghai, China J7oreworb. Safely through another year God has brought us on our way; not only supplying our every need as we looked to Him day by day, but giving an increase on every hand. One day a friend from Canada spent some hours in The Love School. It was in his heart to make an offering to God for some need there. The greatest need seemed to be another building dormitories for older girls and rooms for the missionaries. He asked that an estimate for such a building might be sent to him. To-day if you come to The Love School, you will find this beautiful building the joy of all. "God gave the Increase." Five times during the year 1925 we had the good news that God had called one of His dear children in the home lands, to become a co-worker with us; and later we had the joy of welcoming them into our midst. All needed passage money and in some cases the support of these, as well as the support of two of the missionaries already on the field, having been supplied. "God gave the Increase." A new dormitory was needed in the First Year Home, for every month brought more girls whom He had led to us "Out of great tribulation." A large attic was transformed into two dormitories by the generous help of some friends at home and in China. Fifty girls can here find r,est for soul and body. "God gave the Increase." Through the miniS;try of mIssIonaries on furlough and of our dear treasurer, Mrs. Purott, God has given numbers of new friends, several of whom have become "Love Mothers" to some of the children whom God has sent us. "God gave the Increase." Every department of the Door of Hope has seen the wondrous working of the Holy Spirit in hearts and lives as day by day the precious Word of God has been given by the missionaries and visiting evangelists. Thus during 1925 many souls have been born again and entered the kingdom of God as well as the Door of Hope. "God gave the Increase." '~1earn of me." Most people realize, aSI they go through Hfe that this world is a school and every man a scholar. Few like the Apostle Paul can say "I have learned" my lesson or "I have finished my course." A review or an examina'tion of the old lessons is always helpful to the learner,-and the onlooker, if he sees nothing to imitate, can see what mist2.kes to avoid. The first and pos,sibly the hardest lesson -set before the writer at the beginning of 1925 was to rest, because of physical weakness and not to take up for a time the beloved work of the Receiving Home. God graciously enabled Miss, Bailey to look after the Receiving Home 3iJ1d Court work in addition to the First Yea-r Home. To be still and not chafe under it, -and instead of helping to beaT burdens to be an add.itional one, meant that the scholar was brought ro the end of her own natu1ral resources, only to find that the Great Teacher, meek and lowly in heart, was whispering to her with f:resh love and power "My grac~ is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness." The second lesson was to have the beloved work giIVen back and to realize that it was indeed a sacred trust and would not last for ever. One had a strange sympathy for Hezekiah, when he was recovered from his sickness and knew that he had only fifteen more years to live. One seemed to. en,ter into his words "All my yearS' I shall go softly," or "as in solemn procession." 'Lhe sorrows and wrongs of the 164 women and children who came into the Receiving Home were just as sordid and shameful as in past years, poosibly more 5'0-J as they told of their own sad sins or of those who h~d sinned against them. But triumphing over all this there was a new glory which was indeed the glory of God it. the face of Jesus Ch-rist as He came to seek and to save that which was lost. The usual battle to free children and girls f.rom unlawful lltasters or mistresses who held on to them with grim 2 (( GOD GAVE THE INCREASE n tenacity, had still to be fonght,and some of them in 1925 were of unusual severity. These encounters tax boIth spiritually and physically those engaged in the fight. The faithful Chinese matron Mrs. Khoong, old warrior as she now is, one day said, after standing her ground for hours against opposing forces determined not to allow a girl to enter the Door of Hope, "Sqme things are getting more difficult all the time and some folk are getting worse instead of better." Taking hard journeys, losing sleep, no time for food, have all been experienced by the Receiving Home matron, Mrs. Khoong, during the past year. These trials are small compared with the needed sympathy given to those beaten and bruised in body and soul, or with the strength expended in withstanding the powers of darkness manifested through evil men and women. How much the "helping together in prayer" of friends, kindly words: of comfort and loving g1if\ts, have meant through the days of 1925, eternity alone will reveal. The Shanghai students riot of May 30th followed immediately by a strike might have seriously affected the work. Situated ,in the heart of the International Settlement, right on a busy street, v.isito.rs were continually asking 1\1:rs. Khoong at the Receiving Home if she would not join the strike, put up the shutters and close the door. She answered thart the Door of Hope was engaged in a work of saving souls which could not be stopped, so day and night our sign continued to tell the passers-by tliat "]esus saves" and our door remained open. At this centre there is a day-school, but during the troubles the children were afraid to come, and the attendance dropped from eighty to nineteen. I t was then thought better to close the school early, and after the vacation it was decided not to reopen until the spring term of 1926. Preaching services were also discontinued for a few weeks, hut in August recommenced again and the blessing of God has rested upon them, as the attentive crowds have eagerly listened to the old old story of Jesu's and His love. ETHEL ABERCROl'tfBIE. The Door of Hope Car at the Receiving Home, which has helped to rescue hundreds of girls. Does the Lord mean us to open a Home for little boys? Miss Abercrombie and a badly beaten little actor just given to the Door of Hope. Later :-This Home \X,"i11 be opened May 1st, 1926. RECEIVING HOME. MISS BAILEY TEACHJM; A CL,\SS OF GlHLS. MISS BROWN STANDING AT THE BACK. FIRST YEAR HOME. U GOD GAVE THE INCREASE n 3 "GOLDEN FLOWER." During the year 1925 sixty-five new girls have come into our First Year Home, and it has been a time of many opportunities of service for our Master. It is a great joy to tell of one who came to us at the begi·nning o.{ 1925 named "Golden Flower." At the age of 13 years s'he was left without parents, at 14 she was brought to Shanghai by her relatives, at 17 years of age she was married. The family was very poor so her mother-in-law and husband sold her into a house of ill-£ame, but she was not willing to live such a life. She had heard of the Door of Hope and was able to run away to' us. When taken to Court it seemed as if she might not be given to us, but as we prayed the Lord worked on her behalf, and she entered our "First Year Home." Her first days and weeks were not easy ones, a great fight was going on within her. The older girl who was set apart to help her with her lessons, etc., had a very hard time, but knowing how to pray for "Golden Flower," and having a sweet patient spirit, she finally won out. "Golden Flower" began to take an interest in her lessons, and we saw by the difference in her life, the Lord's work in her. Du;ring the summer vacation we had special prayer meetings and this dear child became really in ea:mest about her soul's salva'tiGq. Some two weeks later Miss King of the China Inland Mission, Yangchow, came to hold a few days' meetings. It was at this time that "Golden Flower's" full decision to accept Christ was made, but not until much prayer had gone up for her. In about two weeks after this she was taken sick and one day with ~ve others came to my room asking for prayer that she might be healed. Miss Brown and I knelt with them in prayer arid "Golden Flower" most ea:rnestly called ·on the Lord 1esus ito touch her body. Though a£ter this she continued to suffer much, yet she 4 U GOD GAVE THE INCREASE n told me that she had such real peace and joy in her heart, for she knew that she was born again of the Spirit.